Bengaluru: Will Transport Department ever crack down on Ola and Uber?

Bengaluru: While the Delhi government has successfully clamped down on ‘surge’ charge pricing by cab aggregators, Bengaluru still has a long way to go, with cab aggregators not complying with rules and charging double the fare during peak hours!

“Cab aggregators not only fleece and exploit commuters during peak hours in the name of surcharge, but at times even cancel their service, upsetting the plans of several commuters--- that’s the worst part”, says Sunam Sarkar, a senior software engineer working at PWC, Bangalore.

Sharing her experience with us, she said that she had pre-booked an early morning cab to Bengaluru Airport 12 hours in advance. Although she received a booking number immediately she could not get the ride as they cancelled it without even intimating her. Upon enquiry, she was told that the booking was cancelled and was asked to book another cab on the “ride now” option, which is completely unreasonable, she said.

Gaytri Biswas, a software engineer, says that she booked a cab to the Bangalore International Airport from Yelahanka New Town 5th phase. She booked a mini cab that charges Rs 6 per km, but was ‘surge’ charged 1.6 times, forcing her to shell out Rs. 980, instead of just Rs. 300. “Why are these cabs taking commuters for a ride by not even informing us?  We were not even intimated on the app or by SMS”, she said.

Radhakrishna Holla, President of the Bengaluru Tourist Taxi Operators Association (BTTOA) said that cab aggregators have not complied with the transport rules laid down by the state government. They have failed to adhere to the rules, from not installing a panic button, to GPS, colour coding, police verification of antecedents of drivers, uniforms and drivers with experience. “The public are being fleeced with this ‘surge’  charging and no safety norms are being adhered to”, he said.